New Mitsubishi Mirage to replace Colt in 2013

The new Mitsubishi Mirage – a ‘Global Compact Car – has gone on sale in Thailand, is being built in Thailand and will replace the Mitsubishi Colt in Europe in 2013.

The new Mitsubishi Mirage is a budget five-door hatchback that Mitsubishi are aiming at emerging markets. But it’s not going to stop there. Mitsubishi are planning to end production of the slow selling Colt and replace it with the smaller, cheaper to produce, Mirage.

Mitsubishi are planning to end production of the Colt in Europe at its Born plant in the Netherlands and will, in 2013, start selling the new Mirage in Europe in its place. But we don’t think the Mirage will be the moniker of choice for Europe.

Mitsubishi are hoping that low production costs for the Mirage – it is being built at Mitsubishi’s new Laem Chabang plant in Thailand – will make the Mirage not just a low-price compact but a profitable one too.

Despite being smaller than the Colt – the Mirage is just 3710mm long and 1665mm wide – Mitsubishi say it will carry five adults (they they don’t say how big those five adults are), has a high level of quality and comes with a 1.2 litre engine which Mitsubishi say will average 62mpg, although we may well find different engines when the Mirage arrives in Europe.